Abstract

Carbon nanotubes have been demonstrated as enabling components of various multi functional electronic and chemical-mechanical devices functional at the molecular scale. Among these devices are chemical force sensors, gas detectors, field emission displays, molecular wires, diodes, Field Effect Transistors (FET) and single-electron transistors (SETS). Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) are promising techniques for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). PECVD only requires low temperature process, low cost production as well as it is easy to scale up at high rate production compare to other techniques such as laser ablation and are discharge. There are many types of PECVD based including microwave plasma CVD (MP-CVD), radio frequency CVD (RF-CVD), electron cyclotron resonance CVD (ECR-CVD) and thermal CVD (TCVD) for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes. In this work, we demonstrate the use of direct current PECVD (DC-PECVD) to synthesis carbon nanotubes as our preparation technique. The high stability of tile feed gas prevents it from decomposing in the elevated temperatures of the furnace. Typically, decomposition will take place at 800 to 1000 degrees Celsius for SWNT, and 550 to 750 degrees Celsius for MWNT. Decomposition of the feed gas occurs only at the catalyst sites, reducing amorphous carbon generated in the process. Decomposed carbon molecules then assemble into nanotubes at the catalyst nano-particle sites.